My Musings

Sri Rama Navami 27-03-2007 SRI RAMNAVAMI, as we all know, is celebrated on Chaitra maasa Sukla paksha Navami thithi. This year it was celebrated on 27th March. The celebrations start on Ugadi day and culminate on the ninth day with Sita Kalyanam. Vijaya and I had the fortune of going to HOSUR this year ( 27 March 2007 ) on this auspicious day of Sri Ramnavami and take part in the celebrations. This blog is all about that. Savithri and about 20 families of the TNHB quarters join together for such celebrations. Every year they celebrate Sri Ramnavami for nine days with devotion, dedication, and bhakti - with Rama nama parayanam, chanting of slokas, singing of bhajans etc. Till last year (2006) they used to celebrate each day's function in a different house daily.This year luckily they had obtained a small place (garage) in one house and thus the celebrations were performed in one single location daily. Hopefully by next year they would get a larger place. On Sri Ramnavami day they al...

Visit to Hosur 27 March 2007 We two went to Bangalore during 21 March to 03 April 2007. In between we went to Hosur to see Savithri. 27 March 2007 , Tuesday, was Sri Rama Navami and Neeraja prepared Paanakam. Neermore, and Kosambari. After the poojai, we two left BLR by 08-30AM for Hosur. Sri Rama Navami was being celebrated in a grand and wonderful way at Savithri's locality. Read all about that function here. After this function, we were home by 2-30PM. Chatting and talking !! 28 March 2007 Wednesday :: at Hosur :: We were to leave Hosur this evening but Savithri asked us to stay back for the night. So we stayed. Savithri is feeling that no relative is visiting her at Hosur. It is a fact. 29 March 2007 Thursday :: Had breakfast and then lunch at Savithri's place. After rest and then coffee, we left at 4-10PM; Savithri accompanied us to the bus stop. We took a KSRTC bus and were in Ashok's home by 5-30PM. The stay at Hosur was very enjoyable. We should visit Hosur and S...

Sri Anjaneyar As all of you are aware, a temple for Lord Dhanvantari, the God of Health, is being constructed near Walajapet, Vellore district. Many idols have already been consecrated there. The customary practice as per Hindu scriptures is that any God or idol, before being ere cted / consecrated (prathishtai) , that should be taken on a urvalam to many towns for Darshan by all people. This urvalam is called KARIKKOL urvalam. Once the urvalam, which lasts for months, is completed, the God is taken to the temple and Prathishtai done for regular poojai. As part of this Urvalam, Sri Sakkarathu Azhwar, Sri Rahu Bhagawan, Sri Kethu Bagawan were brought to Chennai a few months ago and our house-owner at karpagam avenue had arranged (by paying an amount) for the Lord to be brought to our house at 24 / 89 K avenue. That time we all performed Paal Abhishekam to the God. These idols have since been consecrated at the temple. Last Saturday - 17 March 2007 - Sri Anjaneya (in Sanjeevani Mountain ...

We two, Ashok and Neeraja went to Vaithisvaran Koil during March 2007. Earlier, we went to this koil on 23 February 2007 for the Mudi Irakkuthal for Sowmya and Aditi. Ashok and Neeraja couldn't join us then. So this visit. We four left Chennai on Saturday, 17 March 2007 , by Rockfort Express for Kumbakonam. Reaching KBK by 0720 the next morning (18th) we took a room there (Rs 250.00) After bath and breakfast, we hired a taxi for Rs 1300.00 to go to Vaithisvaran Koil and other places. We left KBK by 0915 and went to V Koil. Good darshan of Vaithiyanatha Swami. Archanais to all five deities there. Then went to Suriyana Koil (Sun God). And then to Sukranar Koil at Kanjanur. Then we returned to KBK by 2PM and had lunch. At 3-15 PM, after lunch, we proceeded to Karugavur and worshipped at Sri Garbha Raskshambikai Amman. There Ashok-Neeraja performed the படி மெழுகுதல் with ghee. From there, we proceeded to Pattiswaran Koil and then back to the hotel by 6-45 PM. Our return train was...

Giri Traders Mylapore Last week, during our “walk-and-shop-around-Mada-Veedhis” routine, we saw a North Indian couple frenetically searching for a Pooja-mani (bell). They were obviously searching at a wrong place. Overhearing their talk, I wanted to be a Good Samaritan and directed them in Hindi to visit the Giri Trading Agency at the Sannadhi Street nearby. Shortly afterwards, we too ambled across to this GITAA and could see the couple there with a satisfied and happy look.This mail is about Giri Trading Agency, GITAA for short. There was this TVS Giri Iyer living in Matunga, Bombay. Year around 1951. He wished to gift a Sandhya Vandanam book to a upanayanam-boy but couldn’t get one in Matunga of those days. He got a brain wave then – why don’t I start a bookshop in Matunga that would have Tamil religious books? Thus started the tradition of Giri Trading Agency, in 1951. They used to purchase books in Madras and get them by parcel in Bombay.The shop started growing and they felt the n...

A Great Woman and Mother. Deepa Ramani is a poor widow in Chennai. She lost her husband when she was young and she had to bring up her two sons and one daughter single-handedly. Extreme hard work with a single target on mind, she toiled on. As her monthly salary as a worker in a mid-day meals scheme was just Rs. 30/- , she had to take to other jobs and means. She started preparing Idlies and other items. Her children would carry these Idlies and sell. Her son Sharath was brilliant in studies, and as a small kid, he used to sell Idlies prepared by his mother, during mornings and evenings Time flew but Deepa Ramani and her son Sharath never wavered from their mission. Sharath passed out from School as a top ranker, joined BITS Pilani and took a B.Tech there, joined IIM (A) and top-ranked with an MBA from there. Deepa Ramani, his mother continued her hard work. Last April (2006), Sharath was offered a Rs. 9 lakhs p/a package but he declined saying that he had a greater vision of starting ...